


They Are So Close

by conceptstage



Series: Single Chapter Critical Role [103]
Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: crteamhumanweek2019
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-09
Updated: 2019-12-09
Packaged: 2021-02-26 01:55:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 707
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21725611
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/conceptstage/pseuds/conceptstage
Summary: Team Human Week 2019 Day TwoPrompt: TouchBeau stumbles upon a drunk Caleb.
Relationships: Beauregard Lionett & Caleb Widogast
Series: Single Chapter Critical Role [103]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1436668
Comments: 3
Kudos: 175
Collections: Team Human Week 2019





	They Are So Close

Beau was nearly asleep when she heard a crash from downstairs. She was up and alert before it even registered in her mind that she’d heard something. She looked around for movement in the darkness but there was nothing but Jester, her shoulders slowly rising and falling, in the next bed. There was another crash and she finally stood, slowly pushing open the door and then closing it behind her. She could hear moving around in the back room as she walked down the stairs and started towards it. Caleb was slouched against the wall with an empty whiskey bottle rolling on the floor between his knees and he looked up at her with blank eyes when she walked in.

He blinked a few times as his eyes cleared just enough to recognize her and then grinned.

Beau was thrown by the display of emotion and cleared her throat. “Hey, Buddy. How you feeling?”

He looked at his hand like he was seeing it for the first time. “Delightfully numb.” He turned back to her and squinted. “Come here.”

She frowned at him from the doorway. “Are you gonna try any weird shit?”

“Come here.”

She hesitated, but then sighed and rolled her eyes before walking over to sit beside him against the wall. He leaned over and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, pulling her into an uncomfortably tight hug. “Uhhh… Caleb?”

“It will be alright,” he whispered. “You are a… a good person. And you will be alright.”

Beau blinked in surprise. “Um, thanks, I guess. You got any of that whiskey left, Drunkie?”

“My name is Caleb,” he said, without a hint of irony. He handed her the bottle, clutching it by the neck. There was less than a finger left swishing around at the bottom and she sighed.

“Better than nothing, I guess,” she said, taking from him gently and downing what was left. She leaned against the wall beside him and sighed. “So, what made you join the ‘drink to forget my problems’ train? It’s unlike you.”

“It did not used to be. I was once a…  _ shieße _ , what is the word?  _ Ein Säufer _ . A ‘Drunkie’, as you put it before. For about a year after I escaped I did nothing but wallow and drink.”

Beau shrugged and handed him back the empty bottle. “Old habits die hard, I guess.”

“Habits do not die,” he muttered. “You must kill them, or they will rear their ugly heads again.” He leaned his head over on her shoulder and she tensed under him but he didn’t seem to notice, or if he did, then he didn’t mind. “They are so close,” he whispered, his voice low and rough. “ _ Der Vollstreker _ , they are here.”

Beau sighed and started to slowly relax under the weight of his head. “Yeah.” The little bit of whiskey she’d had wasn’t enough to get the desired effect but she was slowly getting a weak, pleasant buzz between her ears. “We’re running out of time on that particular loose end. You think Trent will wait until we handle this Chained Oblivion bullshit to mess with us? We should really only focus on one piece of shit at a time.”

Caleb hummed tiredly. “Ja, probably. Trent is very considerate. Perhaps we should send him a letter and ask for some time before he pursues me.”

Beau snorted and then covered her mouth to keep it quiet. “Yeah, sure. ‘Dear Mr. Scourger, please do not attempt to kill us until we have resolved the current debacle that we’re dealing with. We cannot give your threat the attention it deserves when our priorities are divided like this. Thank you for understanding, enjoy your weekend. Sincerely, The Mighty Nein.’ Is that what you were thinking?”

Caleb laughed into her shoulder. “Ja, exactly like that.” He sighed heavily, his smile falling. “What are you doing up?” he asked.

Beau frowned at him. “You, asshole, being loud as shit down here.” Caleb didn’t respond except with a snore. She rested her head against the wall and stared at the ceiling, trying to sort through her thoughts. She didn’t move until there noise down the hallway as the others started to wake up but she didn’t sleep either.


End file.
